that Anglos were coming to expect at that time. Up through the 1940s, Chicanos were legally segregated from Anglos in large cities and small towns. As with African-Americans, Chicanos could usually not eat in the same restaurants with Anglos, nor attend the same movie theaters. Those theaters which did allow Chicanos almost always forced them to sit in segregated areas, such as the balcony. Chicanos were not allowed to swim in public pools with Anglos, but had to use the pools on specially assigned days; in Los Angeles, they were often assigned the same day as African-Americans, which was usually the day the pools were drained for cleaning (Servin, 1966, p. 331).
The Depression of the 1930s hit the Mexican-American community hard. Poor economic conditions hurt Chicanos who had lived on the edge of poverty even before the Depression. Many migrated to urban areas in the search for employment. As the Depression took its toll on Anglos, they began to strike out at Chicanos, arguing that there were not enough jobs to go around. Undocumented workers were rounded up and deported to Mexico and others were persuaded to return voluntarily. On the other hand, agricultural business interests protested these deportations, since the Mexican workers who would otherwise be deported were willing to work for less wages than Anglo workers (Acuna, 1988, pp. 198-206).
Chicano Service in United States Armed Forces during the War
Chicano soldiers served valiantly during the war, suffering heavy casualties in proportion to their numbers and earning a disproportionate number of medals. A large number of Chicanos were serving in the Army units which defended the Philippines in the early days of the war. These men were not draftees or volunteers who enlisted because of the war, but Army regulars who had made the Army their career. Fighting against overwhelming odds, they were eventually forced to surrender with the other U.S. and Philippine...